BACK IN TIME?: ‘Not impossible’ suspended Cowboy could be back by week 1, Jones says

Monday

Mar 4, 2019 at 8:29 AMMar 4, 2019 at 8:33 AM

By Jon Machota

The Dallas Morning News

INDIANAPOLIS (TNS) — When it was announced Tuesday that the NFL had suspended Randy Gregory indefinitely, most assumed that meant the Cowboys defensive end would likely miss the entire 2019 season.

After all, Gregory’s latest violation of the league’s substance abuse policy is his fourth suspension since being drafted by Dallas in 2015.

But Jerry Jones isn’t exactly convinced that Gregory won’t be able to play as early as Week 1.

“For all the obvious reasons, I don’t know,” the Cowboys owner and general manager said Saturday from the league’s annual scouting combine. “It’s certainly not impossible.”

The hope would be that Gregory could have success appealing the suspension.

Gregory said before training camp last year that he smoked marijuana to combat depression and anxiety. Despite another suspension, the Cowboys see a player putting in great effort to battle for his health and sobriety, so there are no plans to turn their backs on him.

“He’s a pure soul, first and foremost,” Jones said. “The proof of that is how he’s thought of by everybody around him, teammates, coaches, everyone. He’s genuinely afflicted. It’s real. He has to work through, just as you would many things as human beings.

“The way he works through it, the way he deals with his circumstances, it’s impressive. It may not look that impressive when you say, ‘Well, look at the penalties that he’s endured.’ But it is impressive. He’s trying to work through it. Everybody on this team knows he is. He’s an outstanding player by instincts, mentally, physically, he’s outstanding. He doesn’t pretend to be anything that he isn’t.

“I believe that a combination of his continued dealing with it, experience, maturity will be better for him relative to the NFL. And I think we got a system in the NFL that ultimately he can deal with or the system will ultimately deal with him in a way that let’s him have a football career. I am by no means, in any way, weary or discouraged.”

Gregory is coming off the best season of his career, finishing with six sacks, 28 quarterback pressures, 25 tackles and two forced fumbles in 14 games.

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